Vending machine



April 2, 1935. o. H. BLISS VENDING MACHINE I Filed Oct. 24, 1953 la/ 35 f 0.17. fil 53 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTOR N EY O H; BLISS VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 2, 1935. o H Buss I 1,996,668

VENDING MACHINE Filed Qct. 24, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY 0. H. BLISS VENDING 'MACHINE April 2, 1935.

I 'Filed Oct. 24, 1953, 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTOR N EY April 2, 1935. o. H. BLISS 1,996,668

VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 swim" IN VENTOR ATTOR N EY April 2, 1935. o. H. BLISS VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 24, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 0. H. B Lj/SS INVENTOR ATTOR N EY Patented Apr. 2, 1935 i romreogsrare This invention relates to vending machines for dispensingarticles of merchandise suchas dairy products wherein the products are sold in containers and has for the primary object, the pro- 5 vision of a device, of the above stated character whereby a purchaser may readily obtain anarticle of merchandise on the payment of a coin and the return of a container to the machine and which operation may be successfully completed by the purchaser without the help or assistance of the seller, the device requiring the attention of the seller-{only when thesupply of merchan disc or products need replenishing.

With these and other objects in view vention consists in certainnovel features of con-V struction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. i i l For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had ,to, the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustrating a vending machine constructed in accordance with my invention. I Figure 2 is a front elevation illustrating the device. j p l fFigure 3 isv afragmentary vertical sectional view. illustrating the mechanism for ejecting the merchandise or products fromithe 'machineland also showing the means for receiving and depositing in the machine the empty bottle or container.

Figure leis a fragmentary horizontal sectional view drawn on an enlarged scale and showing the position of the ejector prior to ejecting an article of merchandise from the machine.

Figure 5 is a similar view toFigure 4 illustrating the ejector in dotted lines and occupying a.

position after completing the ejection of an article of merchandise from thermachinev 6--6. of Figurel. V V

Figure? is a, sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is asectional 'view taken on the line of each conveyor are pivoted to the sprocket 88 of Figure,2.

Figure 9 is a sectional view takenon the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10,is a detail sectional view taken on the 5 line If-l0 of Figure 4;

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view taken on the line l l-l l of Figure 5. v

Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating a latch member.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary perspective view 7 illustrating a keeper for the door of the machine.

this in-- Figure 14 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating one end of one of the conveyors.

Figure 15 is a detail view illustrating broadly a coin control for theoperating mechanism of themachine. V j p Y *Figure 16 is adiagrammatical view illustrating thefwiring diagram of the machine.

Figure 1 '7is a plan view'illustrating the mecha- A nism for imparting a step by step movement to the empty container drum. g

Themachine disclosed in the off cial drawings is adapted for use in' an enclosure of any desired character and consists of a horizontally arranged table I supported by legs 2 and having one edge disposed against the front wall 3 of the enclosure. A series of relatively spaced merchandise conveyors 4 are located over the table and are adapted when actuated to convey the articles of' merchandise "on the table-towards the edge 51 thereof. Each conveyor consists of vertically'ar ranged shafts 6 and Tcarrying sprocketgears-B' table to be removed therefrom by*an;ejecting means which will behereinaftermore fully Ide-V scribed.

Operating shafts H are suitably journaled on the table and each shaft is geared to a conveyor, as shown in Figure 1, and also connected to a coincontrolled operating medium l2. The coin 'c'ontrolled'mediums 12 are carried by the front wall of the enclosure andeach equipped withan operating lever l3 locked against movement until a proper 'coin is deposited within the coin con- Figure 6c is a sectional view taken on the line spective conveyor for positioning a container adjacent the edge 5 of the table. The flights l0 chain 9 in such away that the free ends "of said flights may swing towards the runs of the chain when engaged by theejector means sojthatduring theioperation of the latter it 'may clear the, ends of the conveyors or their flights disposed nearest to the edge 5 of the table'g' j j a A feed shaft! is arranged adjacentqthe edge 5 of the table and is suitably, journaled to the latter and is -of the double feedty'pejth'at is, the feed shaft I4 is capable of moving an ejector The containers having the" .The housing I! carries a feed nut l8 meshing with the. threads of thefeed shafts so that during the rotation of the feed shaft theejector-will be moved from the position shown in full lines in Figure l to the positions shown in dotted:

positions the arm 35 to be engaged by the dog 36 lines in said figure and. then returned to its in'i tial positon by the rotation of thefeedsshaft in' one direction. The' feed shaft is connected to an electric motor I8 by a sprocket hainlg aiid sprocket gears 20 so that when fanie'lectric Cir-i3 cuit is completed to the electric motor fro nsan electric source for a predetermined length of time the iced shaft 7 will be driven by thei motor andcaiise 'the' rno' merit f, the'e'jector as heretoiore describedl. A r: was finia in es e in are and is' in cornmuhication with a discharge open exi he ellrfi 9 19 8 e mwmen th Opposite 1 2 59? th remrrrim nt i no m l losed byva hinged door-12 so mc iuntedthatit may intsidlyitf the compartment but not i outwardly therefrom and-thereby providesa e 'd;. ?s ren e er- 9 1 atih e e h enclosure ir'om reaohing through the compart-- me re r move a flt it e-t l A. k epe s; la ch aria nie w edio h 90 ZZand projects beyond the hinged edge of said cured to a bracket F; The bracket 25 ,isj suitably supp ted, and h s y nne ted he ew a coil; springl26'7whichis in turn connectedto i theikeper or" latch arm 23 91 normally'urging as i on the-table adjacent thejelectrio i; mot'orjl'y'isa switch 'zsn-s enea and closed by'l an operating shaft 129 land the. switch is lectri-Q calIy'J connected T to an electrical anteater source mat e 'th'elect'ric fmot on' .Also'arranged in the electriccircuit withithe w fch' is a circuitimal er' and breaker f 30 f and which will be hereinafter"; more "fully' iiiescribed'f. The operati IodTZBTi's slidably mounted on the table an anged atv the'i discharge ends "of the conveyors and: hasslecured "thereto" s a'c colla'rs 3 l' fito be engaged;.'

I H v a ea to the shafts'fi; o'fthej conveyors so that n' operfation" of any; one of theicc iv' ybi an" d is m v nt ll if parted to'jth' Shaina iforfclosing t e switch, 2871i n augmary shaft 33 di'scfrinectedto bra-Seneca: "p1 wnmci 7 river "ct" 31 t y r. i n'i pp efldi i t n-S'b jfi e i i nts'f oflsaidfauigiliaryfshait wh'i'chi'in turn;

table l where-the {es-ester; Y position. Apin 52 is carried by theejec'tor and receives its motion in one direction by the switch operating rod 29 and its movement in an opposite direction by a pivoted dog 36 on the housing I!- of the ejector. The dog 36 is capable of pivoting in opposite directions and is held in its initial position by spring arms 31. The dog 36 when in its initial position lies in the path of movement of the pivoted arm 35. The auxiliary shaft when receiving its endwise movement from the switch operating shaft 29 movesthelever 35, past the dog 36 fromthe positionshownin Figure. l',,the spring arms 31"yie1ding to permit the passing of the arm 35 with respect to the dog. I This operation Whenithekejector l6 completes an ejecting operationand returns to its initial position. The ejector returning to the initial position swings the lever iibacktto itsoriginal position by the dog 36 being held against pivotal movement by the spring 'arms 31 which have sufl'icient strength to cause a n w se-shifiin o th auxilia sha t 3 ei t fs tcfi s at hshefi B r e sw tmga'am thereby fbrak the electric motor aridst' h "er a chineIjAsthefco apersonop'jatin' merrm were. P

switchoherat g, and; shiftthef auxilia thefarm 35 in place. to h nthei er e urn f ing "operation to f itsfiniti Located" adjacent'th I an e r nse m wwhi h' em be'fplac'ed" into thefmachine M H arrangedfadiacent' the lent an e j and has assocciate'd ,-the 1"ewith a chute 35s for' receivii'lg the eon? f tainers from the platform and deposit them'lat a v -Poin w h he e lqsure- A Sha 24 step by step movement which is 'su'flici'en't to'inove a pocket intov and 911$, 91. alinement...with "the" entm'nc an a re t mwesawa 11m t e:

overth "chu e,3% "'Ihefricwkets ut 39-1 re. 1 xert press eon han ta o .thsle ne ft ve cke and ti e t e' c nfie s its? e -ld is vi we lhl f39 :A ratchet-smarts; is s ure t the sha t!! andiifiup e afid dw faces are provided with 'ratciietteeth to be en-, a -ed b Flo I" and i eurnelgd "9' heisha and capable of amines "sliding movement :on said shaft 49. The dogs areurged into' engageinent with the ratchet -tee'thof theratchetielerir tj'BS by Springs 49 andeach dog has an integra' arm and the arms occupy normal positions j as shown in full lines in Figure 17, The arm of the dog? 58 its free end a 11001; 5| located alt t e endof the 79,

engages the-1106185 aria-"shamans is u; eg'fi n a m i he Pippy i r i ifi achd neoted to one end of a pivotally'mounted levers l 'WhilefI have and' described themeby a link'55. The freeend pr, he 1everj '4 1ies:m a

1 ferred embodiment of myinven'tion', it will be path of movement of the pin '52 and ise'ngaged by lunderstood that minor changes construction, 1 v

when disengaged by the pin 52 of the ejectorjand which takesplace during the return' of the ejector toitsj initial poSitionJQ recesses and normally projecting beyond the periphery of the drum arespring pressed contacts 58 in the formof plungers'and located at the inner ends of the contacts are pivoted elements 59 normally entering the pockets so as to be engaged by a container when inserted in a pocket and cause an outward movement of the respective spring contact to engage an arcuate contact 60 located adjacent the drum. The contact 60 is electrically connected to the electric circuit and also the shaft 40 so that when any one of the movable contacts 58 engage the contact 60 by having a bottle or container in its respective pocket it will complete the electric circuit at the heretofore mentioned circuit maker and breaker 30. The movable contacts are electrically connected to the shaft 40 by conductors 6| embedded in the drum. The drum is constructed from a suitable insulating material. When a container is passed through the entrance of the enclosure into a pocket, the movable contact thereof is moved outwardly to engage-the contact60 and the person placing the container within said pocket then operates the desired coin controlled medium l2 by placing a proper coin therein and operating the hand lever thereof. The operation of the hand lever imparts movement to the proper conveyor, moving the latter so as to position a container in the path of movement of the ejector.

During the movement of the conveyor the switch 28' is closed, completing the circuit to the motor I 8 which in turn drives the feed shaft l4 causing the ejector to move the container into the compartment 2|. After depositing the container in the compartment, the ejector returns to its initial position and automatically breaks the circuit to the motor 18 stopping the operation of the machine. During the operation of the machine or the movement of the ejector into and out of the compartment, the drum is given step by step movements by the dogs 41 and 4B placing the container deposited in the pocket over the chute so that the tension arm 44 may eject the container into said chute. During the operation of the machine to receive merchandise therefrom and to place a container into the machine by way of one of the pockets, another pocket moves in alinement with the entrance after the removal of the container to the chute.

A machine constructed in accordance with the foregoing may be easily and quickly manipulated or operated by a person desiring to obtain an article of merchandise and due to the nume ber of conveyors and operating means therefor difierent'kinds of merchandise may be dispensed from the machine or merchandise of the same character but in different quantities may be dispensed. Another important feature of this invention is the fact that it compels a purchaser to return to the machine an empty container each time a purchase is made for obtaining merchandise so as to prevent the seller from standing the cost of empty containers.

of invention, as claimed. I V Having described theinvention, I claim j 1". A vending'" machine" comprising a: tab

on the table j-from'if which fa container mayj be ally actuated means forposit'ionin" a eontaine' t bl v r Hi emert if mentf means "under? control of h s dfffirst mean to' move the DOsitio'ned containe" into the com actuation thereof until a container is placed in said third means.

2. A vending machine comprising a table, a compartment on the table from which merchan- M h support, merchandise containers, a compartment The drum is'provided with reces'ses'S'l in comj-j munication with the pockets and mounted in said manually; removed, coin controlled and f 'manus J dise containers may be manuallyremoved, con-' veyors on the table for positioning merchandise ;combin ation and arrangement of parts may ,b'e I rma'dewithout departing fro'mithe spirit and 'scope;

containers to be moved to the compartment,

means for operating any one of said conveyors, power driven means underthe controlof the conveyors to eject a container into the compartment, and means to receive empty containers and controlling said power actuating means to prevent actuation thereof until a container is placed in said third means.

'3. A vending machine comprising a table to support merchandise containers, a compartment on the table from which a container may be manually removed, an endless conveyor on the table for positioning a container for movement into the compartment, manual means for actuating the conveyor, an ejector for transferring the po-.

sitioned container to the compartment, power means for actuating the ejector and under the control of the movement of the conveyor, a door for the compartment to prevent unauthorized removal of a container from the table to the compartment, means onthe ejector for automatically opening the door to permit said ejector to place a container in the compartment, a container receiver located adjacent the compartment to receive empty containers, and means for controlling the power means by thecontainer receiving means.

support merchandise containers, a compartment to receive a container from the table, a door for closing the compartment to the table, manually controlled means for positioning a container on the table for movement into the compartment, electrically actuated means under the control of said manual means for moving the positioned container into the compartment, means on said electrically actuated means to automatically open 50 4. A vending machine comprisinga table to and close the door, a rotatably mounted drume I e il5f partment and means to receive empty'contairier's and controlling said second means to prevent 

